DROWNED AT MOTUROA.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1916, Page 4

DROWNED AT MOTUROA.

A SHIPS OFFICER LOST. »\0 TIIACE OF THE BODY. The second mate of the schooner C. S. Holmes—L. Jensen, a Dane, 2+ years of age—mot his death by drowning in the harbor at Moturoa in the parly lioiira of yesterday morning. His body has not yet been recovered. .Ifiist-ii li'i't tlip schooner shortly after .">.:!(> p.m. on Wednesday and came into town, whore he met two members of tin; crew. The three men remained together during the evening, and aftec- visiting a number of hotels they all became, the police state, more or less under the influence of drink. They returned to Mote.roa by motor-car, and on reaciiirig their ship they went into the donkeyroom, where they had a "'sing-gong'' and consumed the contents of three or four bottles of liquor. About 1 o'clock yesterday morning the gathering dispersed, the two members of the crew going to their quarters. When they last saw Jensen be remarked that be was going to have "a look round .and then turn in." Ko oni' in the schooner saw Jensen after that. Tile night-watchman of the steamer Corinna states that nbout 1 a.m. he heard a cry, and, looking over the wharf lie saw a man in the water in front of the schooner. He threw the man a rope and told him to take hold of it, but the man made no answer. The night-watchman then roused the chief officer and crew of the Corinna, and when they arrived on the scene. there was no sign of the man in the water. All day yesterday Detective Fitzgibbons and Constable liolton, assinted by the Harbor Hoard staff, curried out a thorough search of the harbor, but no trace of Jensen's body was found. Tho Board's diver explored the bottom of the harbor extensively, and dragging operations were carried out by the police. The search will be continued to-dav.